


Look for the Silver Lining

by mizzelle (wabbitseason)



Category: Maria-sama ga Miteru
Genre: Female Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-18
Updated: 2009-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-04 14:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wabbitseason/pseuds/mizzelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Umbrellas were opened, steps were carefully taken along the rainy walkways, and the choruses of<br/>'Gokigenyou' were still heard throughout the campus." Set in between the second and third seasons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Look for the Silver Lining

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mabis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mabis).



The afternoon rainstorm started as light sprinkles, but quickly turned into a downpour. The rain doused the entire campus, but no one scurried for cover; no one played in the rain and splashed around in the puddles, either. Not here. Not at Lillian Academy for Girls. It simply wasn't the way things were done: umbrellas were opened, steps were carefully taken along the rainy walkways, and the choruses of "Gokigenyou" were still heard throughout the campus.

"Rain again," Shimazu Yoshino huddled under her large umbrella and tried to avoid the large puddles created in the gingko tree walkway. "The skies were clear just this morning." She could feel the chill through her clothes. Once they arrived at the Rose Mansion, she wanted a cup of hot tea.

Fukuzawa Yumi briefly stared up at the skies, "The storm did appear very suddenly, didn't it?" She shrugged. "Maybe it will stop later. The rains have been more infrequent lately."

Yumi didn't seem perturbed by the storm's sudden appearance because her moodiness had dissipated recently. As if to punctuate her improved spirits, Yumi added, "My _onee-sama_ will be back at school soon. I want to show her that everything is just as she left it."

"Not exactly as she left it," Yoshino amended quickly, "Otherwise, Sachiko will be cross with how much work is still left to do for the festival."

Yoshino was as much to blame for the lack of progress on the school festival front as anyone. She'd been so busy with her club activities that she wasn't able to help out as much as she usually did. It had been a strange thing to get used to: before, she spent all her free time at the Rose Mansion; now, she had to budget her time more carefully between practices, training and studying. She started to appreciate how Rei-chan was able to juggle it all so effortlessly.

"Sachiko-sama would be cross, too," Yumi admitted.

"But she's doing better?"

Yumi nodded. "She sounded in much better spirits yesterday."

Sachiko-sama had been out of school dealing with her grandmother's death. Her absence at the Rose Mansion was noticed among all the Yamayuri Council. Sachiko-sama's _petite soeur en bouton_ especially missed her. Yoshino didn't envy Sachiko-sama all the catch-up work she would need to do when she came back to school. When Yoshino had been out sick, she spent an endless amount of time copying notes and getting assignments. Now that she was back in school, Yoshino actually felt like part of her class, rather than always being a little behind everyone else.

Yumi's relationship with Sachiko-sama was much better these days, if still a little muddied by the presence of Touko. Yumi sounded like her usual self: cheerful and upbeat. She had returned from her visit with Sachiko-sama as if a dark cloud was lifted off of her. Yumi always had such a positive approach to life even when things were uncertain. Unfortunately, Yumi internalized everything: her fears, her doubts, her problems. She didn't speak up when she should and she allowed situations to get worse and worse when they could have been solved with a simple explanation. All the friction between the two soeurs could have easily been prevented.

Was Yoshino any better? Yoshino tended to lash out at people when things became difficult – usually with terrible results. Her relationship with her own _onee-sama_ had suffered its potholes too. There'd be no Lillian newspaper special editions or headlines this time though. Yoshino and Rei had learned from their previous mistakes and dealt with their issues quietly behind the scenes. Rei-sama was now Rosa Foetida – there was an image to maintain, after all.

"Are you all right, Yoshino-san?" Yumi asked suddenly.

Yoshino was startled. "Why do you ask?"

"You were so quiet," Yumi said. "For the last week or so, you've been talking my ear off about kendo practices." She stopped in the walkway; the rain steadily pelted down on her umbrella. "You didn't have to quit, did you?"

Yoshino shook her head. "Of course not. Practices are going fine." She hadn't realized how much she had talked about her club activities. She hoped she hadn't bored Yumi too much with her chatter.

"Training is harder than I thought it'd be." She wasn't giving up so easily though – even if she had to spend extra hours on her exercise regimen, Yoshino would make the kendo team. She wasn't just trying to impress her _onee-sama_ now, but she would prove to herself that she wasn't that weak little girl anymore. Her single-minded focus hadn't come without a cost though.

Yumi smiled. "You must be enjoying spending all that time with Rei-sama."

"Not really," Yoshino said. "She works with a lot of the younger students, so she doesn't have a lot of time for me. But I love watching  
her. Watching her in matches is one thing, but seeing that grace in the practices is even more inspiring. She always has the right word for the moment." She envied Rei-chan. She never felt like she knew what to say in any given moment. "I was just thinking how much has changed since the Roses graduated." They had stopped in front of the entrance of the Rose Mansion. "The mansion is quieter now, have you noticed?"

The Rose Mansion was noticeably different. Some of it could be attributed to the gloomy rainy season. The constant precipitation could depress even the brightest of personalities. But some of it was due more to the absence of others: Sei's pranks and laughter no longer filled the rooms, Youko and Eriko were no longer around to tease Sachiko-sama out of her aloofness; Noriko was a welcome addition, but she was like Shimako in some respects – quiet and understated; Touko's occasional appearances added some spark, but brought more tension than laughter these days.

"It is quieter now," Yumi closed up her umbrella before opening the door, "But that'll change after the summer, won't it?" She offered a bright and cheery smile that was completely at odds with the skies. "A fresh start might help everyone, right?"

Yoshino didn't have the proper response for that statement. Only Yumi could cheerfully think ahead past the summer to a new term. Following Yumi into the Rose Mansion, Yoshino looked back towards the rainy walkway, as sunlight began to peer out through the far away clouds. The rain was starting to recede and not a moment too soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my fabulous beta, angharad_gov.


End file.
